Jana Nolan
Earth Star Publications
www.earthstarpublications.com
FIRST EDITION
First Printing August 1997
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 1997 Jana Nolan
ISBN 0-944851-11-8
CONTENTS
1. Upsetting News . . . . . . . 1
2. Birthday Wishes . . . . . . 6
3. Making A Decision . . . . . 11
4. Night Out . . . . . . . . . 17
5. Returning to Henderson . . . 23
6. Memories and Questions . . . 31
7. Hoping For Answers . . . . . 39
8. Bad News . . . . . . . . . . 48
9. Visiting Aunt Carol . . . . 53
10. The Sheriff and the Mine . . 60
11. Return To Town . . . . . . . 67
12. An Agreement to Help . . . . 75
13. Revealing Information . . . 87
14. The Secret . . . . . . . . . 94
15. Tea and More Talk . . . . .101
16. An Enemy and His Men . . . .113
17. Trapped . . . . . . . . . .119
18. Darkness Was Near . . . . .126
19. Words With Fear . . . . . .131
20. Our Escape . . . . . . . . .136
21. Happiness Once More . . . .145
Chapter 1
I love walking on the beach and watching the surf pound against the rocks. The wind is still and silent. The flowers are bright and full. The smell of lilac fills the air with a wonderful scent of freshness and beauty. It's a calm day in June. The smog has lifted, and the sun is shining brighter than it has for several days. No matter where I go, the smell of the ocean will always be with me.
My name is Sarah Baker. I'm a news reporter of the Ridgewood Times in L.A. It's one of the largest newspapers in Southern California. I can truthfully say that I love working at this establishment.
Originally I'm not a true native of California. I came here from a small mining town called Henderson, Colorado. The town sits on a hillside. It's surrounded by mountains and beautiful powder blue sky. Because the sky is so blue, whenever I lie on the ground, looking up toward Heaven, I feel as if I'm floating in the air, looking down on a large body of water below me. Sometimes during the day and night, the people in Henderson hear a coal train go rustling through the town on its way up the mountain to one of the remaining coal mines. There, they pick up the coal and take it to the nearby cities for shipping.
1
Today, when I finally climbed out of bed, my objective was to find the nearest mirror in my bedroom. Today is my birthday. Like every woman in America, I wanted to see if I looked a year older. I checked for wrinkles and gray, or white, hair. I then took a shower and got ready for a glorious, fun-filled day. I was going to Santa Barbara to spend time with my brother, Danny, his wife Carla, and their family. My mother would be there also. She lives close by.
As I walked toward the front door to leave for the day, the phone rang. When I answered it, the voice on the other end was that of my boss, Frank Cooper.
"Sarah, sorry to bother you on your day off. I was sure that I would still catch you at home. It also gives me the opportunity to wish you a happy birthday! Are you still celebrating birthdays?" Frank said as he laughed heartily.
2
"Okay, Frank, we all know that I'm not getting younger with each passing year. We also know that I'm not an old lady either. I haven't reached the age where I choose not to get excited over my birthday each year," I told Frank sheepishly. "What is the real reason you called me? You have never called me on the weekend unless there was something important that you wanted to talk to me about."
"You're right, Sarah. I would like you to go back to your home town and do a story for the newspaper. You won't be going back there alone. I have asked Jim Peterson to go with you. The Old Henderson Mine is going to reopen soon. A company from back East has bought it. The news media has been invited there to cover the story. Since the Henderson Mine was the most productive mine in the country, the market for its coal will be hot when it starts running. This is the biggest story to hit the front page in quite some time. Sarah, there is something else that I find hard to tell you about. There are a lot of strange things happening in Henderson now. Rumor is that some of the people passing through the area have seen what they believe to be apparitions walking around. All of this might be someone trying to scare away the people that have bought the old mine. Someone out there might not want it to reopen. I won't force you to go back there to do the assignment. You can think about it over the weekend and give me your answer Monday morning."
3
Frank was a very earnest man that wasn't afraid to express his feelings. He didn't get to be the boss by sitting at his desk clipping his toenails.
"I will give you an answer on Monday. My decision will require some serious thought. Thanks for calling, Frank."
"Goodbye, Sarah."
Ten years ago, the Henderson Mine caught on fire and several parts of it blew up. When the mine shut down, a lot of people lost their jobs. My dad was one of them. That was the reason why we moved to California. Over the years I have tried to forget the sorrow on the faces of the families that lost their sons and husbands in the fire. It is wedged in my mind. I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to go back to Henderson. I had a lot of thinking to do. I knew that Frank wouldn't fire me if I refused to go. Would I be letting myself down if I didn't go back there one more time? This was the question that hurt me all of my life. Then again, if the rumors were true, it could mean the end of my life!
4
Chapter 2
After Frank and I were finished with our conversation, I looked like a statue standing there with the phone still in my hand. I was dumbfounded, not knowing what to say or do. I was having one of those days when I wished I'd stayed in bed.
I put the phone down and grabbed the car keys. As I walked out the front door, I looked out at the ocean. The seagulls were landing in the sand on the beach. That was the place where they thought that they belonged. Even though I had a good life before in Henderson, I had learned to love my life in Santa Monica, and my beach house. I knew that I would always feel that this is where I belonged.
The drive up the coast was beautiful. The air felt cool and refreshing.
When I drove into my brother Danny's driveway, I saw him with his chef's hat and apron on. His apron read: THE GRILL ISN'T THE ONLY PLACE I COOK. I saw Carla and Mom bringing food out from the house. My nephews were chosen to carry out the traditional birthday cake. This year there would be lots of little fingerprints in the frosting. The twins love frosting. Next came baby Annie with my candles. It was time now for me to make my appearance known to my family.
6
"Sarah, we're so glad that you finally got here. Happy birthday!" Danny said as he accidentally burned his finger on the grill. He stood there shaking it and trying real hard not to cuss around his children. Next to my dad, Danny was the best father in the world. Mom came toward me to give me her birthday kiss and Carla and the kids had lots of hugs for me also. It was great being there again.
While we sat there eating hamburgers, Danny looked over at me. He said in a soft voice, "Sarah, you are awful quiet tonight. Is there something that you want to talk to me about?" Danny had taken over the role of father since Dad was found dead. He always loved me, but now he felt like he had to give me advice on everything that I did.
7
"You always could tell when I needed to talk. Today before I left home, I received a call from my boss. He asked me to go back to Henderson and do a story on the reopening of the old Henderson Mine. A company from the East bought it and they have asked us to come there. Frank told me something that has upset me. Apparently someone is trying to scare off anyone that gets within a hundred miles of the town or the mine. He said that tourists have reported seeing ghosts. I don't believe in ghosts and neither does Frank. There is someone that doesn't want the mine to reopen. They will stop at nothing to keep it from happening. Frank has given me until Monday to decide if I want to take the assignment. I won't be going alone. Frank has asked Jim Peterson to go with me. There is a chance that we could be in some real danger," I quietly told Danny so that Mom wouldn't hear us talking.
Danny scooted his chair closer to mine and quietly said, "Sarah, I have always been proud of you, so I don't want you to misunderstand what I am about to say to you. I will always worry about you. You are my baby sister. I love you, but I don't like the job that you have. I have known that there would be times when you would be put in a compromising position. Like now, for instance. All I can hope for is that you know when you should take an assignment and when you should turn it down." Danny put his arm around me and pulled me close to him.
8
"I love you, too, Danny. I love Carla, the twins, Annie, and Mom dearly. I've known for some time that you didn't really like my job. The reason why I took the job as reporter was because I love the excitement of reporting and seeing things for the first time. I have always tried to do the right thing in my job. Right now, I'm not sure of the trouble that's going on in Henderson. It may be nothing but rumors. I don't know too much about it. I wonder if I owe it to myself to find out. Besides, I don't want you to worry too much about me. Your black hair will turn white." I then kissed Danny on his cheek and lifted Annie up into my lap. There was nothing that meant more to me than my family.
The party was over and it was time for me to go back home. I had a lot of thinking to do the next two days and no one could make up my mind but me.
I put baby Annie down, and told everyone that it was time for me to leave. They walked me to my car and waved as I drove away.
9
Chapter 3
The next two days were spent walking along the ocean, running through the sand, and looking for sea shells. There were times when I would look into the water and hope that someone would look back at me and tell me what I should do.
In no time at all, Monday morning was here and it was time to go to work and give Frank my answer. When I left the house, I walked down to the beach. As I gazed out at the ocean, I imagined myself standing on a small island in the Pacific Ocean, waiting for the tide to come in and carry me far away from land. There was one thing that I had a lot of. A really good imagination!
Once more I stopped daydreaming and walked back up the beach. I could feel the sand rubbing between my toes. As I stood at my car wiping off my feet, I realized what I had to do. It was time for me to grow up and put the past behind me. By now, everyone had gotten on with a new life.
11
I got into my car and left for my office. It was much earlier than usual for me to go to work. My usual route was the Santa Monica Boulevard. Today, I wanted to avoid the usual traffic jams, so I made a right turn onto Parker Avenue. Then I followed it until I came to the Ridgewood Building. I parked my car in the underground parking lot and then walked past the security guard.
As I entered the building, I looked around to see if I could see Frank. I said good morning to everyone that I passed. Then I walked over to Miss Jones' desk. She was Frank's secretary.
"Miss Jones, will you please tell Mr. Cooper that I'm here? I need to see him as soon as possible. I have a very important matter to discuss with him."
"Right away, Miss Baker. I'll tell him as soon as he comes in." Miss Jones took the papers that she had been typing and neatly put them together. Then she tapped them on her desk softly so that they were stacked in a single pile. She was very efficient and very good at her job. She knew everything about the paper and everyone who worked for it.
12
I thanked her and walked to the elevator. I pushed the number four button. My office was on the fourth floor. It stopped and I got off. I waved a good morning hello to all of my workers and then went over to talk with Alice. Alice was my secretary. "Good morning, Alice. When Mr. Cooper gets here, please send him in right away. Also, Jim Peterson will probably stop by, too. I need to speak to him also. I'm going to be gone for a while after today. Mr. Cooper will take over for me while I'm away.
Alice nodded her head and I walked into my office. Before I could put my things away in my drawer and sit down at my desk, Jim Peterson knocked on my office door. Then he walked in. Jim was a tall, good-looking man with blond hair, blue eyes and a wonderful caring smile and personality. He was the kind of man like the ones you see standing in a store window with a suit on and as you stand there gazing at the suit, you can't help but notice how gorgeous and well built the man is behind it. So you say to yourself, "Man, if only that mannequin was real!" Then, out of disappointment, you walk away feeling cheated for some reason.
"Sarah, how was your weekend?" Jim said as he tilted his head. He could see that I was daydreaming and staring at him with a big stupid-looking smile on my face. "How was your birthday? Did you drive up the coast to Santa Barbara to see your family?"
13
"My weekend was wonderful, Jim. They had a nice party for me." Then I looked out at the city. For a split second I wondered if I had made the right decision.
"Sarah, Frank has asked me to accompany you to Henderson. It looks like we are partners again. I'm sure that Frank told you the rumors about ghosts." Jim laughed aloud and said, "I don't believe in apparitions. There is something going on there, though. We might find ourselves in the middle of a dangerous situation." Jim lit his pipe and walked to the window.
"It might be fun seeing ghosts, "Jim!" I laughed back at him. I went to my desk and sat down. "There is someone out there that doesn't want the mine to reopen. Something like this could hurt the town. It took me the entire weekend to decide whether or not I should take the assignment. I'm glad that Frank picked you to go with me to Henderson. When I see him, I will give him my answer. I'm not sure exactly what we will find there. Whatever it might be, I know that we can handle it together."
14
Jim smiled at me and walked to the door. "Sarah, I would like to take you to dinner tonight to celebrate your birthday."
"You are a little late, but I would love to go with you. Thanks for asking, I'll see you later." As he walked away, my heart felt like it was going a mile a minute. I had waited a long time for Jim to notice me as a woman, and not just his newspaper partner.
Frank stuck his head through the door to make sure I was there. "Sarah, I heard that you were back and that you wanted to see me right away. Before you give me your answer, please hear me out. I know that I am asking an awful lot of you. If you have any doubts about going back to Henderson, I will understand. There will be no hard feelings," Frank said as he walked across the room and sat down on the corner of my desk.
"Frank, I'm glad that you are here. I want you to know that I thought long and hard about taking this assignment. I have decided to go to Henderson. I am positive that Jim and I will come across danger while we are there. Someone out there doesn't mind jeopardizing the lives and the jobs of the people of the town."
15
"You're right. There is something going on there that we aren't sure about yet. I know that there is a story in Henderson. I have every confidence that you and Jim can find it. Tomorrow I will be at the airport to see you both off."
Frank shook my hand and said something cute like, "I'm proud of you, soldier." This was his way of saying thank you for doing this for him. He then turned and walked out of my office.
16
Chapter 4
Before my work was done for the day, I found myself working through lunch and meeting with my camera crew. Before I knew it, the time had passed by very quickly. It was seven o'clock. I was ready to go home.
When I left my office, I went to my secretary's desk and gave her papers that I was sure she would need during the duration I would be away from L.A. and the newspaper. I raised my hand once more to wave goodbye to my fellow coolie. Then I walked away and out the door.
My drive home was beautiful. There is nothing more lovely than the ravishing lights of the city. They sparkled and shined bright like lights hanging from a Christmas tree. I knew that I would miss it dearly while I was away.
When I returned to my home, I went upstairs to the bedroom. I went to my closet and looked thoroughly through my wardrobe. I wanted to dress in an alluring but conservative manner. I was attracted to Jim more than any man that I had ever known before. I wanted him to notice me, but I didn't want to give him the wrong message either.
18
I took a hot bubble bath and finished getting ready for my date.
As I was putting on my necklace, I heard Jim knocking at my front door. I went downstairs and walked to the door to meet him. I handed him my necklace and asked, "Jim, would you hook this latch for me? I always have trouble with it," I said.
"Yes, Sarah, I would love to put my hands around your gorgeous neck. I want this night to be very special for you. Whatever you want to do, or wherever you want to go is all right with me," Jim said as he latched my necklace.
I smiled at him and said, "Thanks, Jim. I have been looking forward to this evening all day. All I want to do tonight is to be a part of the city and enjoy just being with you for a night full of fun and leisure," I said as we walked to his car.
"One thing I know for sure, there won't be a star in the sky that will ever be as pretty as you are. I can't wait to show you off," Jim said as he held my hand.
19
Jim's flattery was really making me feel special. I wasn't sure if I would be ready for the evening to end. We dined and danced the night away at one of the very best restaurants in L.A. Jim asked me to dance and we walked out to the dance floor. I felt as if we were walking on a soft white cloud, with gentle music playing in our ears. As Jim held me close to him, he looked deep into my eyes and said, "You are so beautiful, Sarah. Your black hair shines, your blue eyes twinkle like the stars in the sky. Your skin is softer than anything that I have ever touched. The time that we spend in Henderson will give us a chance to be together. This is the opportunity that we need to get to know each other better." At that moment he kissed me for the first time. I put my head on his shoulder and at that instant I felt very secure and protected.
During the years that we had worked side by side, neither one of us really knew what our real feelings were for one another. In the next few weeks, we could explore the depth of our true feelings for one another. Maybe the time was finally right for us to fall in love. What we didn't know was the weeks to come would change our lives forever.
20
When the band stopped playing and the lights were getting dimmer, we left the restaurant and drove back to my house. Jim walked me to my door and put his hand under my chin. He then lifted my head to meet his eyes and he kissed me once again tenderly on the lips. I felt like I was Cinderella, and my Prince had followed me home from the ball.
"I'll pick you up later, Sarah. We can drive to the airport in my car."
"Okay, Jim, I'll be waiting for tomorrow and your return," I said. What I really wanted to tell him was that I would be counting the minutes and the seconds until I could see him again. That night had been one night that I would hold deep within my heart for the rest of my life.
I went upstairs to bed, where I found myself tossing and turning most of the night until I drifted off to sleep. After a few short hours my alarm clock sounded loudly to let me know that it was a new day. I crawled out of bed and into the shower. As I was bathing, the thoughts of my night with Jim came fluttering back to me. As I got ready for him to pick me up, I couldn't keep my mind on everything that needed to be completed before I could leave. When I finished, I walked down the stairs. I saw Jim coming up my walkway. I met him at the door. I was all packed and ready to go to Henderson, Colorado.
21
I opened the door and Jim said, "Let me help you with your bags, Sarah. I talked to Frank and he is meeting us at the airport. He has a few things that he wants to discuss with us before we leave L.A." Jim picked up my bags and we walked to his car.
When we arrived at the airport, Frank was standing there waiting for us. "I won't keep you both too long. I know you have to catch your plane. I just want to tell you that at any time you feel that you need to get out of Henderson, I don't want you to hesitate. Apparently some of the authorities have found some of the other reporters dead. Some they can't find at all. Be careful and call me periodically so that I will know that you are all right." Frank looked worried. He hugged me and shook Jim's hand. We left for the plane and I could see that even Frank was having second thoughts about whether or not we were doing the right thing.
22
Chapter 5
From L.A. to Denver Jim and I did a lot of talking. He told me about different jobs that he had before he started to work for the Ridgewood Times newspaper. I talked to him about the same thing. The flight didn't take long and before we knew it the plane was touching down in Denver, Colorado.
The first place we went to was the car rental. Frank had a car waiting for us. All we had to do was sign for it. It was time to go to Henderson.
The drive on the highway through the mountains was wonderful. The air smelled clean and fresh. The sky was a shade of powder blue.
Henderson was a few hours away from Denver. It had been years since I had been back there to visit. I always managed to stay busy most of my life. I hardly ever allowed myself time out for a vacation.
When we got closer to the town, the different lights seemed to stand out like thousands of twinkle lights reflecting off of the mountainside.
24
We slowed down and turned off on an old country road that went past my parents' house. It wasn't far from the highway. When we reached the house, I stopped the car and got out to look at the old homestead. When I was a young girl, I would stand in front of it and make believe that I was a fairy princess that lived in a big castle. Back then the house looked big to me. I sighed a deep breath. It felt good to be back home once again.
I turned around and went back to the car. Jim was sleeping. I shook him lightly and said, "Jim, wake up. We are here at the house. After we take everything inside, we can go into town and eat."
"That was a short trip," Jim said as he picked up his western hat off of the front car seat. He had bought the hat for our trip to Colorado. He then placed it on his head. He said, "Now I'll fit right in. I'm a real cowboy."
I looked at him and smiled. Then I said, "Jim, it will take more that a western hat to make you a true cowboy. We'll see how well you do when you ride a horse."
"Speaking of horses, your luggage feels like you packed one for the trip here," Jim said jokingly. "Are we going to take the horses into town, little lady?"
25
"I don't think we better, Jim. I don't know if the ambulance comes out this far at night," I said, laughing and shaking my head at him.
I unlocked the front door and we took everything inside.
Everything was in its rightful place inside the house. No one had changed anything while we were away. Jim and I took covers off of the furniture and then we left for town.
When we got close to town, we saw a small diner. The lights on it were flashing PETE'S DINER. This place was new. We decided that this was the place to stop at.
When we walked through the front door, everyone inside turned their heads to look at us. No one was smiling or talking. They watched us as we walked through the place to a small table in the middle of the room. Suddenly, we felt a chill in the air. We could see that the people there at the diner weren't friendly. They would rather see us leave the place. Instead we stayed.
The waitress came over to our table and asked, "What would you like me to bring you?"
I looked at her and wanted to say, "Nicer people!" Instead I said, "We'll look at the menu and decide from it what we want to eat."
26
I asked Jim, "What do you think? Does this place remind you of a funeral, or what?"
"Yes, it does, Sarah! In fact, I have to tell you, I have seen happier faces on people at a funeral home than this place."
Soon the waitress returned to get our order. We told her what we wanted and watched her walk over to talk to the cook. They kept looking over at us. Jim and I knew that there was something strange about that place. Everyone in there was watching us.
After we finished eating, I excused myself from the table and went to the ladies' room. As I stood there washing my hands, I happened to look down at the floor. Lying on the floor was a piece of paper that wasn't there when I entered the room. I bent down to pick it up. I was getting ready to put it in the waste basket when I saw the message that was on it. The paper read: GET OUT OF HERE! LEAVE AND GO HOME! I left the room as quickly as I could and went back to the table and Jim. I handed him the note.
I said to him, "Did you see anyone standing over by the door? Someone slid this note under it. I'm not sure if it is meant for us."
27
"Sarah, we haven't even been here a day and trouble is already finding us. Look around the room and see if there is anyone in here that you might know from the past."
I looked around at all the people. There was no one in the room that I recognized.
"No, Jim. I don't know anyone in here. Whoever it was must have gone out a different door."
We got up from the table and walked to the door to leave. When we were outside, I told Jim that it was like a breath of fresh air to be out of that place. He agreed with me. That was one place that we had vowed never to go back to.
When we were driving back to the house, we saw something up ahead of us in the road. Jim slowed down and put his lights on bright. Then I heard him yell, "What the hell is that?" We were approaching something that appeared to be an object of some sort. As we got closer, we could see that the object wasn't an object at all. It was a small child sitting in the middle of the road, eating a dead animal that had been struck by a car. The child was a girl. As we passed her, she jumped toward our car.
28
"Hurry, Sarah, roll the window up!" Jim screamed. "Something isn't right with her. I can't believe my eyes. What could possibly make that girl eat a dead animal from the road?" Jim said as he swerved away from the child. Jim drove faster until we were back at the house.
After we stopped the car in front, I said, "I don't know what to say, Jim. Frank is right. Things have changed around here. Something bad is happening and I feel like we are right in the midst of it."
There was nothing more to say. Jim went to bed and I went outside to sit on the old porch swing. I could feel the stillness of the night. I had forgotten how beautiful the town of Henderson was. There were so many memories that I had stored inside of me. I could see my dad working on our old Buick. Mom was standing at her clothesline hanging up the clothes that she had spent hours washing. My brother Danny was climbing up the ladder of his tree house. All of the memories that I had in my head seemed like yesterday. I knew that it was time to put them to rest! Things could never be the same again.
29
Jim and I had a story to do for the newspaper. I had to find out who the person was that slid the note under the door at the diner tonight, and why. Someone wanted Jim and me to leave here pretty badly! The question that kept going through my mind was, why? It was going to take both of us to solve this mystery!
I stood up. It was time to go back in the house. Hopefully things would be brighter tomorrow.
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Chapter 6
The following morning Jim found me ...
...
32